Who’s on trial here? That’s the question…who is on trial in this amazing story of Christ’s Passion and Death? I was recently reading an essay about Good Friday and the author asked this question…who’s really on trial here…which I think is very interesting question. The fact is…particularly we who hear the Passion year after year…Jesus is innocent and his innocence will be made gloriously obvious in two days when he is exonerated in the Resurrection. Is it possible that we are guilty ones…that we should be on trial? We heard this last Sunday when Deacon Ronnie preached about the different sins that painfully germinate deep down in the soil of the Passion…not Jesus’ sins…our sins…and this isn’t just pious Catholic guilt either…it’s true.

Political leaders…some of whom were supposed to be religious leaders by the way…the Roman and Jewish leaders are guilty. The story beneath the story is how insidious the desire for power can really be. Is it any different today? Politicians picnicking all over the people they’re supposed to serve. Jesus’ friends…Judas…Peter…the rest of the brave 12...they abandon their friend when the going gets tough. Is it any different today? Who among us has never turned his back on a friend out of selfishness, apathy, or fear? The Crowd…they yell out…we have no king but Caesar! Could this be any more evident today in our world? Who…or what do we worship? Technology…money…the neighborhood in which we live…our careers…professional sports icons and Hollywood stars? Who did the crowd choose that day? Can you imagine…they chose Barabbas over Jesus…really? Or how about the passer-byes in the story? Maybe they weren’t sure about this guy Jesus…maybe they were the agnostics of the day. Sound familiar…in our postmodern American sensibility where agnostics are one of the fastest growing faith groups, ironically of course. They look up and say…if you are really the Son of God…come down and save us. Don’t we sometimes fall into the same trap? Certainly our passer-byes cruising up and down Main Street on the way to weekend activities might very well ask him the same question. Who’s really on trial here? Jesus…or you and me?

It might be the most painful part of the Passion…putting the mirror up in front of ourselves and looking intently at ourselves and seeing the reality that has become ourselves. Not much has changed in 2000 years. And to sugar cote it with a syrupy sweet look to Sunday morning might be a tragic mis-calculation. Let Sunday be on Sunday…let the Resurrection stay on Sunday. Today is a day to say to Jesus…we’re sorry…and thank you for being patient with us…we love you and we’re going to try to be better. Please forgive us Jesus…we do love you and we do adore you.